Get Seriously Playful

May, 2016

“Playology is about waking up your senses, infusing our organs of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting – and the higher cognitive senses as well, with the spirit of play. Play ignites creativity and spontaneity. Playing together leads to trust and cooperation.”
– Ellie Katz, the world’s first playologist.

It’s one thing to talk about accessing your inner child. Actually doing it, on a day-to-day basis, is another matter. Engaging in play has long been observed to tap into our imagination, curiosity, and creativity. Play allows us to engage many senses, to laugh, and to have fun.

Dr. Ellie Katz first coined the term “playology” over 30 years ago. Dr. Katz was a registered nurse, educator, psychologist and an artist. What a fabulous combination of competencies! Given her emphasis on humor and laughter we now have come to appreciate the vision she had. Today, we can experience laugh clubs and laughter yoga, which acknowledge the importance of laughter on our overall health and well-being.

Dr. Katz was skillful at helping others rediscover their inner child. She defined playology as the “systematic study of play and its effects on the human organism.” She recognized that there are four benefits of play:

Physical benefits: Play is associated with breathing deeply and immunity benefits.Cognitive benefits: Play stimulates the right side of the brain associated with creativity and risk-taking.Psychological and emotional benefits: Play has been associated with many therapeutic benefits such as joy and relaxation.Spiritual benefits: Play activities free your mind to be open to new input.

So taking some tips from Dr. Katz, we suggest you make play a practice with co-workers and family members. There are so many activities to choose from: doodle, sketch, draw, paint; take something apart; build something; mold clay; toss a ball; read a joke book; get moving; start singing. When generating new ideas we believe play is an important ingredient in our recipe for success.
Stay playful!